Quickly…

First - Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends out there!  I hope you enjoy your day/days/weekend with your family and friends!

Why ‘Quickly’ you may wonder…

Well it’s because the little boy (16 mo. old grandson) may just wake up from his nap… which is what he does every time I try to do something… anything… everything… which is why my house is a wreck… LOL

But he has redeeming qualities… after he woke at 4:30 this morning for a dry diaper – he didn’t want to go back to his bed so I scooped him up and he snuggled in with me and fell back to sleep.  I felt him stir about 6:30 am – he raised himself up and looked around and then leaned over and kissed my head… LOL!  He’s just too sweet!

His Momma is in Hawaii with the other 2 kids (far left in picture below) to meet Daddy’s ship returning from a 9 month deployment.  She has had their belongings shipped to SC where they will be moving.  Shortly they will return here to spend the holidays with us.  Please keep our military families in your thoughts and prayers.  Several ships that were just days away from returning to their home ports were sent back out to the Middle East because of the Israeli – Palestinian goings on. 

The days/weeks/months have flown by… I enjoyed my two visits up north in MA for the shop hop and in NH for the Quilt Show.  I’ll have to do a post at some point about the show… it’s always fun!

I returned from the show on Sunday and my daughter left on Monday for Hawaii… and it’s been a whirlwind of days here keeping up with this child. 

I’ve had a couple PT and Orthopedic appointments to contend with for my sprained knee… always fun with a little one tied up belted into his stroller.  My knee is much, much better and will certainly be at it’s best again when I can get back to the gym on a regular basis.

I hear some stirrings in the other room…. not sure when I’ll return… but I do so hope everyone enjoys their Holidays!

Wake Up!

That's what I would like to yell right now.... LOL

But my friends are still sleeping and they wouldn't appreciate it I'm sure!

"A Quilters Gathering" begins today here in Manchester, NH. I drove up from PA yesterday with little reminders along the way of the destruction Sandy wrecked in her trek thru earlier this week.

At home we had nothing more than some rain and steady high winds with a gust here and there. Some how we got missed by the really bad stuff.

I did pass a semi hauling what I decided was large pumps headed for NY City... It was the gigantic hoses coiled on the front end that cinched it for me... Those would carry some serious water out of subway tunnels!

Last year when I headed up to NH for this show New England was still reeling from that freak snow storm that had tromped thru just days before. Back then I passed several convoys of tree trucks headed in to help in the clean up. This year in addition to the pumps headed to the city - there was a large group of dump trucks going on that direction and again several convoys of tree trucks headed in. One company was from MI and another from up state NY.

Mother Nature has been reshaping the coastlines for millions of years - I don't think she much cares if we get in her way. High winds and fast water ALWAYS WINS!

Still haven't heard from my Jersey friends May and Elaine. I've got my fingers crossed that a power outage is their only issue...

Ok I've rambled enough... Time to rattle some beds and head down to registration. More later...

I Suppose It Is A Matter of Perspective…

Whenever there is a news story about “Record Earnings” for the Lottery or Casinos… I can’t help but think that it would be a whole different story if the Headline was “Customers Lost a Record Amount of Money Gambling”.

Just something to ponder…

Alive and Kicking...

At least I think so...

My daughter has made 2 trips without the kids and one again this past weekend with just the older 2 leaving the baby with me.  This latest trip was certainly the best as the baby was getting over his latest bout of being sick and was on an antibiotic and starting to feel better.  Sure feel sorry for the little fella when he's sick - he's usually very happy and energetic and this last go around he was miserable with a double ear infection and I believe a sinus infection too.

I hope her traveling is over... this Granny is tired!

Anyway here I am on a new computer... which at the very start has already had a brain transplant!  How is it that a new computer needs a new Hard Disk?  I had barely finished the set up (which these days is fairly minimal) and a prompt had suggested a diagnosis be run on the system... so I did... and got a 'targeted read error'... so after an hour and a half on the phone with the company they sent a technician out to replace the hard disk.

So do I look any younger... any brighter, more shiny... maybe a bit faster?  I didn't think you'd notice but let me tell you that this one is so much better than the 2006 model I was using as my main computer.  Doing anything on that was such an exercise in patience... I do need exercise but not that kind.  Since I rarely used it when I did turn it on it spent all it's time running updates for Windows and the Virus software... uuugh such a pain!

I do have a little 'net book' - a Christmas gift a year or two ago that is great for sitting on the couch with and reading blogs and checking emails - but without a DVD/CD drive and a tiny screen it wasn't any use for my Electric Quilt Software or any real sit at the computer for a long time kind of work. 

I have no pictures on this system so you'll just have to take my word that my grand kids are the cutest thing going... really!

Quilting... hummm that word sounds familiar - has something to do with fabric doesn't it?  I went to the Hershey show a month or so ago... nothing much really stood out to me on the new and exciting front.  I did get a Yo-Yo maker thinking my granddaughter might be interested and picked up an embroidery pattern for her to make little holiday stockings and a snowman kit for me.  We haven't gotten very far as there never seems to be time to go up stairs and work on anything.  I had hoped that when the kids started school things would settle down... but I was wrong... apparently...

I am again planning to go work the Massachusetts Shop Hop at Southampton Quilts later in October.  I do so love going and it's a great opportunity for me to see all my old quilty friends from MA.  A couple weeks later I'll head up to A Quilters Gathering which is moving this year to Manchester, NH.  It's always been a great weekend that involves a lot of sewing, lots of shopping and even more fellowship with wonderful friends.  I've even signed up for a class or two... can't remember which ones or how many but I'm sure I'll have fun with them.

The garden has gone to hell in a hand basket these past couple of weeks... truely it's sad... and it's even sadder that I frankly don't care!  I am so over tomatoes...  There are grapes out there but I may just bury The Engineer out back in the garden if he picks them and brings them inside... I don't have time!  Looks like my apple tree will be ready in a couple weeks.  So apple sauce in my my future and although I'd rather can it - I'll freeze it if I don't have the time to stand in the kitchen.

I will be working on some pictures to explain how I did the Russian Rubix quilt... maybe next week if I can find my camera.  I can't find anything around here these days.  I've been looking for over a week for my checkbook - I don't use it very often so it's never in my purse - and I've rearranged everything in my house a half dozen times recently.  I found it today as I went methodically through each room - I do not remember putting it in that particular place but that seems to be par for the course for me these days.

Maybe I should take up golf...

Are Y’all still there?

I started this a couple weeks ago but never seem to get more than a thought or two in before something gets in my way and then I have to start again.  Lets see if I can finish tonight…

Life has been very busy around here and this week looks to be about the same… so I best try and get this post done while I can that week was busy and I never got back here to finish.  My daughter is going up to MA without… let me be clear… WITHOUT the kids - so Granny and Pops will be in charge for 4 full days.  The two older ones are fine – it’s the Tornado baby that is the challenge.  There are 6 gates installed on the main floor of my house… and you still have to have eyes on him at all times… AT ALL TIMES!  He has been here long enough and grown just enough to be able to climb into and onto anything he sets his mind to… the chairs, couch, rocker… even a pile of boxes of stuff my daughter had ordered.  There was just enough space from box to box for him to get a toe hold and he was up a good four feet off the ground in no time.  The only cabinet door that doesn’t have a catch on it is the corner twirly cabinet that has the plastic stuff and pots and pans… up until today he was content to grab a couple plastic lids or containers and play with those… but he emptied both levels of the cabinet today.  I told The Engineer he needs to add a catch to that door as well.  It took me over an hour to put it all back – I was thankful I had just mopped the floor so I didn’t have to wash everything too.  Well I did wash the grater… the boy licked it when I told him to put it down – yeah the face was priceless as it wasn’t what he expected… he didn’t hurt himself and it was rather funny…

early in the unloading process…

gotta love the face… even with the breakfast mask applied…

and just in case anyone questions his ‘manhood’… skull & cross bones diapers and the ‘man tuck’ of the hand… LOL  The other hand was busy with his bottle…

Miss K will be starting school here on Monday and Kai will be attending a pre-school… goodness – summer is over already?!  Miss K is very ready – although it’s been fun going to the kids programs at the gym she is looking forward to getting back to a school routine.  Probably happy to have a few hours each day away from us and her little brothers too.

I got her started with some embroidery…

The boy enjoying some ice cream Pops dished for him…

And did someone day Pig Pile?

Since it is getting towards the end of summer - would someone please tell my tomatoes to STOP… I don’t have time for tomatoes.  We are eating as many as we can – I am cooking sauce and making salsa and throwing them away if they even look a little bit questionable.  If I had known I would have so little time on my hands I wouldn’t have planted a garden – I don’t water or fertilize anymore… and they just keep growing!  LOL  We have enjoyed our fair share of zucchini (those plants have died – yea!) we did not get nearly enough cucumbers for my liking, we enjoyed a few melons the chipmunks didn’t make houses out of, there are a fair number of red and yellow peppers which have been delicious.  I wanted to be able to can some blackberry jam and syrup… but I’m not sure that will happen.  Maybe I should go ahead and get some berries to cook down and then once the kids get into their school program I can pull the sauce out of the freezer and can jam and syrup.

Oh and in my last post… a month or so ago… I should have given some details on my Crayon Challenge quilt but didn’t have the info with me at the time so I posted without doing anything other than showing a picture of it.

The pattern is Russian Rubix from Prairie Grass Patterns.  Although I loved it when I bought the pattern and I had fun picking out all the prints.  It was a challenge to make.  The pattern gives you a template to use to cut the octagons from 3 3/4 inch squares… really??!  I suppose that size is what is necessary in order to get to the final size… but starting with a 4 inch square would have been so much easier.  I considered having a acrylic template made – but chose in the end to make up a paper piece pattern and work with that.  I am very happy with the end result but it was a good bit of work doing all the trimming that goes with paper piecing.

My colors were cerulean blue, olive, and yellow orange… the border print was perfect.  A ‘block’ is made up of two of the octagon units with 2 small white corners and 2 large white corners.  Four of those are put together to make the circle.

Yes Professor… if you see this I’d love to get credit if I can – I need to review my list and update things – not that I’ve had any time to get into the sewing room recently. 

I do need to get this posted before the kids return from Karate tonight…

If you never hear from me again – well… you’ll know we didn’t survive Momma being gone 4 days... LOL

Annual Mini-Retreat…

Our 4th annual retreat with quilting friends has come and gone all too quickly.  We had a small group this year.  We missed those that couldn’t attend this year and were happy to welcome a couple new faces to our group.  I don’t know why we didn’t take our group picture on Saturday when everyone was there… here we are on Sunday from the left - Me, Dawn, Sue, Neen, Bev, May and Lori – missing are TJ and Brian.

This year I also called on my husband to act as judge for our annual challenge and he brought along our granddaughter Miss K to help.  She had spent some time down at the shop visiting with the ladies over two evenings and had quickly made new friends.  When she and Pop’s arrived to judge the Crayon Challenge quilts on Saturday I asked if she was ready to be a judge?  “But Granny – what if I hurt someone’s feelings?” she asked as she put her hands on her cheeks!  Such a dilemma for an 8 year old!

Miss K and Pop’s looked carefully at each quilt and they compared the crayon colors with the colors in the quilt.  After they had made one round looking at everything they each picked out what they considered their top three.   Since 2 of their 3 were the same those became the 2 to choose between. 

I told Miss K that they would now need to choose between the two and asked her how she thought they would go about it.  Both her Pop’s and I were surprised when she said “well - we could use a decision tree… list the things we like or don’t like about each one and compare”.  All-righty then – a decision tree it was!  Who knew that they teach this stuff in 2nd grade??

Our winner Bev and her quilt with the Judges.

And in no particular order…

Lori’s quilt…

May’s  – sorry about the wrinkles – our hangers might just get fired… LOL

Sue’s…Dawn’s chain…

TJ’s…

Neen’s…

Brian’s…

and mine…

All the quilts were lovely and as usual the pictures don’t do the colors justice.

I’ve always loved our group challenges – it’s always interesting to see what everyone does.

Our Challenge next year will be Stars!  Should be very interesting!!

Here Zucchini...

There Zucchini... Everywhere Zucchini... Oh My!

Look Ma...No Plug!

This is how you iron when it's too hot to iron!

Never Ending Project

That's the way I feel about this quilt... And it needs to be done by tomorrow evening.

I have my quilty friends coming in Wednesday evening for our annual quilt weekend. Four days of sewing and laughing.

My daughter and grand kids have settled in nicely and we are enjoying their company. The days certainly go by fast! We will celebrate the baby's first birthday this weekend amongst all the other activities - what a sweetheart that little fella is.

I will post again after things settle down next week... Really - I promise - with pictures too!

Yes…

Yes – they (daughter and grand kids) got a flight out of Hawaii – Memorial Day Weekend into Bangor, Maine

Yes – the other daughter in Massachusetts picked them up in ME and brought them back to Western Mass where I met them and the next day continued down to PA

Yes – they are here settled in with us and nearly unpacked… nearly…

Yes – they have adjusted to the 6 hour time difference

Yes – I did go see a Doctor when the Hawaiian viruses they brought with them got the best of me… cough, cough, cough…

Yes - my bronchitis is much better now

Yes – the baby walks up a storm… what a hoot to watch… he will be 11 months on the 15th.

Has more fun playing with boxes, a broom, and an empty water jug